title: External ophthalmomyiasis presenting to an emergency department: corneal findings as a sign of Oestrus ovis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to determine the frequency of opthalmyomyiasis externa and the ocular findings of disease in Southern Khorasan.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients referred to the emergency department of Valiaser hospital during the year 2011 with external ophthalmomyiasis were enrolled in this study. The diagnosis of external ophthalmomyiasis was made according to clinical findings and the presence of Oestrus ovis larvae.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 18 cases of external ophthalmomyiasis in the emergency department of Valiaser hospital in 2011. Most cases had the common signs and symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis, except for three males who were referred with respective complaints of red eye, foreign body sensation, and swelling around the eyelids after contact injury the previous day; corneal infiltration was present in three cases. The visual acuity among the three cases that had peripheral corneal involvement was 20 / 30 in both eyes. The bulbar conjunctiva showed chemosis in all cases and a ropy pattern discharge that was clinically compatible with external ophthalmomyiasis. However, in one case, microscopic slit lamp examination did not show Oestrus ovis larvae.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequency of external ophthalmomyiasis was high in this region. Although external ophthalmomyiasis usually manifests as allergic conjunctivitis, coronary-like corneal infiltration may be considered in the differential diagnosis of external ophthalmomyiasis or toxic insult.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Birjan University of Medical Science, Birjand, Iran.
authors.forename: Yaghoubi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gholamhossein
authors.forename: Heydari
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Behrouz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D003315:Cornea / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004175:Diptera; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D015822:Eye Infections, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D007814:Larva; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009198:Myiasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Corneal infiltration; Epidemiology; External ophthalmomyiasis; Oestrus ovis